Recipe 13 : Joo Hoo Char (Fried Cuttlefish)

Important Notes :

- This is a NON HALAL dish as it has PORK in it.

- This is not a 15 MINUTE dish. It takes about 1 HOUR or MORE to complete.

- This is a dish which is normally served during CHINESE NEW YEAR.

- This dish is best eaten by wrapping it with LETTUCE.

Ingredients :

100g Joo Hoo See (Shredded Dried Cuttlefish)

250g Pork Belly

1kg Bangkwang (Sweet Turnip)

1 Medium Carrot

6 Dried Chinese Mushrooms

3 Cloves Garlic (Minced)

Cooking Oil

Dash of Sesame Oil

Tau Cheo (Salted Soy Bean)

Sugar

Chinese Celery

Steps :

1) Soak the dried cuttlefish in water for 15 minutes and rinse clean. Dry with kitchen towel if it is still wet.

2) Blanch pork belly briefly in boiling water. Diced it small (discard the skin) and set aside.

3) Shred finely the Bangkwang, Carrot into long strips. Soak the mushroom, wash and cut off the hard stem and slice into strips.

4) Heat oil in a large wok.

5) Saute Garlic briefly.

6) Fry the cuttlefish till it is dry and becomes aromatic.

7) Then fry the diced pork, adding tao cheo and the chinese mushroom. Follow up with turnip, carrot and Chinese celery.

8) It is important to fry until the ingredients are equally mixed. Taste a little before you add the salt, sesame oil and sugar. (Sometimes the tao cheo's saltiness and turnip's natural sweetness is enough that you do not need to put too much seasoning but a dash of them is good).

9) You will need to cook them a little longer till the dish is dried up and has no more gravy left.

10) Eat it!!